Deputy prime minister Pracha Promnok said at a press conference today that Bangkok will not be majorly flooded.
Pracha, who is head of the Flood Relief Operation Center, said that protecting inner Bangkok was the government’s highest priority, according to the Bangkok Post.
Director general of the Royal Irrigation Department Chalit Damrongsak said that the amount of run-off from the North was less than earlier predicted. Previous estimates had put the volume of water at 3,800 cubic metres today, but the flow was only at 3,600 cubic meters, Chalit said.
“The level of the flow in Chao Phraya which will arrive in Bangkok on Oct 15-16 will not be higher than 2.3 to 2.4 metres. The floodwalls in Bangkok are 2.5 metres high, therefore, Bangkok is safe,” said Mr Chalit.
A false flood evacuation alert given by Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi caused panic in parts of northern Bangkok last night around 6:30pm, according to another article in the Bangkok Post. In response to the confusion, Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra made a public plea for Bangkok residents to listen to him alone. “Please listen to me and me alone. I will say when we should evacuate. Please believe me and only me. Don’t believe others. Others who make a mistake can stay [in office] but I won’t be able to if I do,” he said. Bangkok’s people voted for me. This is my holy mission. I will take full responsibility.”
